Faceless
by Tharros
Summary: Kree wants nothing more than to return to her comfortable home in the Fire Nation, but she is stuck aboard Prince Zuko's ship as a cook as he searches the world for the Avatar. The journey goes on and they must run and fight and survive together, so their relationship grows into something more. They learn from each other and discover that love is the best part of any story. Zuko/OC
1. Prologue: Departure

**A/N: **Hello all and welcome to _Faceless_! This story is told from several viewpoints and focuses on Zuko and the crew of his ship on his journey to find the Avatar. It follows canon events of the series, but I don't want to rewrite the show. I hope the characters aboard the ship are able to add a different perspective to the story. I do plan for it branch off from the exact canon a bit more as it goes along, just to keep things interesting.

_Faceless_ is Zuko/OC, and I hope to build the relationship in a realistic and Avatar-worthy way. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **All Avatar characters and situations belong to Bryan, Mike, & Co. All OCs are of my own invention and belong to me.

"_Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." ― William Jennings Bryan_

**Prologue: Departure**

The air here always smelled of sulfur.

Rana had grown used to the odor after fifteen years of working in the Fire Lord's palace, but when the salty sea breeze washed over her, all she could think of was home—the Northern Water Tribe, where she had spent the first thirty-seven years of her life.

She had been the best healer in the North when she and eleven other women sailed south with an army of waterbenders and warriors led by Nanook, the younger brother of Chief Arnook.

They were to attack the Fire Nation at its heart and hopefully put an end to a war that had raged more than eighty years, but they failed. The firebending army managed to drive Nanook's forced inland and cut off the water supply. All the Water Tribe soldiers had been killed on site and the women were taken captive to work in the city.

The old waterbender tried not to think about that day, for she had lost her husband and many friends in that attack. Instead, she hoisted her bag over her shoulder and turned from the sea to the Fire Navy harbor, where a small ship was preparing for departure.

The news ran rampant thoughout city. The young prince of the Fire Nation was embarking on a mission to search for the Avatar, who had been missing for one hundred years. The Avatar would be the only person with the power to beat back the Fire Nation for good and end the war once and for all. The Fire Lord wanted him dead. Most people gave up hope long ago and thought that the Avatar was not reborn into the Air Nomads, and Rana couldn't help but wonder if this mission was only a fool's errand.

It was also unclear as to why the young prince would be leading the mission himself. He was only fourteen after all and most people thought he should be training to take over the country from his father, rather than wasting his time chasing a dead man all over the world.

It made little difference to Rana. When she had heard that the mission was open to any and all volunteers, she had hastily signed herself up as a cook, and hoped only that the journey would take them northward and she would be able to escape.

She climbed the steep ramp to the ship, still spritely despite her age, and was greeted by a short, robust man she recognized immediately.

"Lord Iroh," she said, giving a deep bow, as she had been trained to do upon entering the Fire Lord's service.

"Miss Rana," he greeted inclining his head respectfully. He had always been one of the kindest members of the royal family. "Thank you for volunteering to be a part of my nephew's journey. I'm sure Prince Zuko will be very grateful to have a healer and a cook with us."

"Two, actually, if that's all right with you, my lord," said Rana. "I wish to bring my goddaughter with us."

Iroh's eyebrows rose in what looked like a combination of suspicion and amusement. "How old is she?"

"Fourteen, my lord."

Iroh grinned, and Rana remembered that the prince was a similar age.

"This could be interesting."

* * *

"Lady Agna, _please_ don't let her do this," Kree begged, standing in front of the Fire Nation noblewoman. "This is my home. Rana can't just take me away."

The two of them stood on the spacious front porch of the home that Lady Agna shared with her husband, Admiral Kyron of the Fire Lord's Navy. Kree had lived in this house all her life, serving the family, but Lady Agna treated her like her own daughter.

The older woman was beautiful, with pale skin, warm brown eyes, and dark hair that she wore in a long intricate braid. She had laugh lines around her eyes and mouth and carried herself like a queen. There was no one in the world Kree admired more.

Agna wrapped Kree in a motherly hug.

"I'm not_ letting_ Rana do anything," Agna said firmly. "This is my choice. And I think that you should go."

"But _why_? My life is here. Rana just wants to take me to the Water Tribe."

Agna gestured to a bench on the porch and motioned for Kree to sit. The younger girl did so, crossing her arms and pouting. Kree knew she was being childish, but she hated what was happening to her.

Agna sat beside her and a gentle breeze blew against them, ruffling Kree's loose wavy hair but hardly touching Agna's braid.

"Kree," Agna began, looking determined. "When they brought you here as a newborn, I was afraid. I'd never seen anyone from the Water Tribe before. I had only heard stories of their barbarism. I feared it was in your nature to be like that, too. I didn't want you."

"Lady Agna—"

Agna held up a hand to silence her. "Let me finish."

Kree nodded apologetically.

"As you know, Kyron and I were unable to have children, and he insisted that we keep you. I could raise a little girl and we would have a top of the line house steward some day. It seemed like a great idea, so I agreed. But when we learned you were a waterbender, I was scared again. I knew I couldn't train you to control your abilities, and I was once again worried that you might turn out more savage than I wanted you to. Understand that I only knew of waterbenders from the stories soldiers brought back from war. I have since learned differently."

"Why are you telling me all this?" asked Kree. All she had been told prior to this moment was that her father had been part of an attack on the Faire Nation Capital and her waterbending mother had died in childbirth. Kyron and her wife bought her as a baby.

Agna plucked a flower from the hanging plant beside her and twirled it between her fingers before putting it behind Kree's ear. "Because I want you to know that you are like a daughter to me, Kree. If Kyron and I could legally adopt you, we would, but Fire Lord Ozai prohibits all cross-nation marriage and adoption. If you weren't our steward, they would send you somewhere else to work, and I can't have that."

"But I'm happy being a steward here, why do you want me to leave?"

"I don't want you to, sweetheart." Agna cupped Kree's cheek in her hand. "But I don't want to go on treating you like a servant either. I'm hoping that doing this will prove your loyalties to the Fire Lord. He might let us adopt you if Prince Zuko succeeds. You could be a full citizen of the Fire Nation, and maybe we could finally get those awful cuffs removed."

Kree looked down at her wrists and ankles. She had worn the metal chi-blocking bracelets for as long as she could remember. They blocked her bending significantly, though not completely. She could still use it to speed up household tasks, but she couldn't use her bending to hurt anyone. The Fire Lord demanded all foreign benders wear them.

"I've never even left the capital," Kree said quietly.

"Travelling can be good for the soul," Agna assured her. "I hope that you might be able to learn more about the Water Tribe culture and bending style. It's a part of you, even though this is your home. There are reasons why the four nations have lived separately for so long. I hope you can see the good sides of your heritage before you return to me."

It made sense, Kree knew. It would be nice to learn waterbending the way it was supposed to be done, even if her skills were hindered by the chi-blocking bands. Everyone told her that she bent water as if she were bending fire. There had to be a better way, but Rana had only ever taught her simple healing moves.

"I'll go."

Agna's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so proud of you. This will be such a good experience for you!" She hugged Kree again tightly. "Kyron will be proud as well, knowing that you're helping the prince find the Avatar."

Kree hugged her back. "Thank you for everything, Lady Agna. I—I'm proud you want me as part of your family."

Agna let go, holding Kree at arms length and smiling at her. "Hopefully when you return, you can call me Mother."

Even Kree's eyes teared up at that. "Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Goodbye, sweetheart," said Agna. She picked up the bag that Kree had thrown down in anger earlier. "You'd best get to the ship quickly. They should be leaving soon."

Kree nodded, wiped her eyes, and threw the bag over her shoulder. "Tell Admiral Kyron goodbye for me. I'll write whenever I get a chance."

"Be safe!" Agna called after her as Kree jumped off the porch and ran down the street toward the harbor.

* * *

I hope you liked the prologue! Please review and let me know! (: This was mainly just to introduce Rana, Kree, and the situation behind them joining Zuko's crew. I didn't want to do the "slave girl" thing with Kree, but I didn't want her to be Fire Nation either, so I hope you like her back-story so far.

Peace, Love, & Reviews

Gwen


	2. Chapter One: Into the Forest of Nanyou

**A/N: **Welcome to Chapter One! Enjoy! And if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

"_A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why ships are built."_

**Chapter One: Into the Forest of Nanyou**  
_One Year Later_

Kree swirled her arms in a circular motion, stirring the contents of a large pot over the fire in the ship's kitchen.

"Whatcha makin' there, Kree?" asked Jinsoo, striding through the low door and pulling up a stool beside her pot. He was one of the younger members of the prince's army, only a few years older than Kree herself. He always seemed to be in high spirits, even in times like these.

"Potato stew," Kree told him blandly. "Same as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that..."

"Come on," he said, grinning and opening the spice cabinet. "Surely you've got something more interesting than that..." He dug through the cabinet, tasting a few different spices and making faces with each one.

Kree snatched the basil jar out of his hand and sprinkled a few leaves into the pot. "You'll have to take that up with General Iroh or Prince Zuko. They're the ones that decide when to stop for supplies."

"Uh, pass."

"That's what I thought," Kree said with a laugh.

Jinsoo groaned, plopping back down on the stool with a defeated look on his face. He ran his hands through his close-cropped black hair. "I can't believe we haven't stopped in over three weeks. This ship isn't built for that."

"But Prince Zuko is," Kree pointed out. "He's absolutely relentless. A matter as simple as supplies won't slow him down in his quest to 'restore his honor.'"

Jinsoo grinned, but it faded quickly. "Do you think we'll find the Avatar though? Honestly? He's been missing for one hundred years..."

"Don't let the prince hear you talking like that."

Kree and Jinsoo looked up to see Lieutenant Jee leaning on the doorframe of the small kitchen. The man was in his forties, with grey hair, thick sideburns, and lines around his eyes. He was a capable firebender and well-respected by the crew.

Jinsoo stood and saluted his superior. The younger man was short and stocky, barely reaching Jee's chin. "I didn't see you there, sir."

Jee acknowledged the salute then said, "You're needed on deck. General Iroh has decided to dock at the next port for supplies.

"Finally!" Jinsoo said, throwing his hands up in triumph and all but running out of the kitchen.

Jee looked like he was hiding a smile as he turned to Kree and tossed her a small bag of coins. "The General said to buy whatever you need for the kitchen. He'll take care of the larger purchases."

Kree nodded and hurriedly finished the soup. She wanted as much shore time as possible.

* * *

The town they stopped in was a Fire Nation colony on the coast of the Earth Kingdom, called Nanyou, and Kree happily departed the ship in search of a bag of fire flakes.

As she was paying a local vendor at the market, a conversation a few stalls down caught her attention.

"—he's here in search of the Avatar," said the stall keeper, and elderly woman selling brightly colored pepper taffy.

"But isn't the Avatar dead?" asked the man who was buying taffy for his two young children.

"They say he might be hiding in the cave up on Mt. Baatar." The elderly women's voice had an eerie air about it, as if speaking of a bygone time only half-remembered.

"That's just an old wives' tale."

Kree narrowed here eyes and turned back to her own vender, who had seen her watching the exchange. "Do _you _think the Avatar could be hiding near here?" She popped a fire flake into her mouth.

The man glanced at the Fire Lord's insignia on her collar. He was a thin man, with small yellow eyes and an abundance of bushy brown hair.

"That's what they say," he told her as he sprinkled spices over a new batch of flakes. "But I wouldn't want to say for sure and risk lying to the prince's...?"

"Cook," Kree supplied. "And I wouldn't rat you out if you were wrong." She casually rested her elbows on his counter, trying not to seem intimidating, though she knew that the insignia often inspired fear.

The man sighed and dumped the flakes into the frying oil as he began the story.

"They say that long ago, long before this war started, back in the time of Fire Lord Chun Fu, an Airbender named Kun and his wife were traveling this part of the Earth Kingdom. Their flying bison had been badly wounded during a storm and they were stranded in an unpopulated area of the Kingdom. Kun's wife, Lan, was with child, and nearly due at this time, but there was nowhere for her to give birth and the storm was still raging.

"Kun managed to carry Lan up the side of Mt. Baatar, then unnamed, and brought her to the cave there. The story goes that the spirits, who used to roam this part of the world freely, sensed the birth of the next Avatar, the Airbender Baatar, and gathered all round the mountain and managed to calm the storm. The forest that grows around the base of Mt. Baatar is said to be made up of those spirits that gathered to witness his birth. It was considered a place of great spiritual importance by the Air Nomads. So it is reasonable to believe that an Airbending Avatar may seek refuge there."

Kree looked at the mountain in the distance. The chances of the Avatar actually being there were slim to none, but so they were everywhere the Prince would go. She imagined it was at least worth a conversation with Jee or General Iroh.

The thanked the vendor and began her search.

* * *

Prince Zuko hated stopping. They could stay at ports for hours, even overnight if the crew found an alehouse. It was a waste of time. He was particularly frustrated today, watching from the ship's deck as the crew spilled out into the small market colony.

It had been a year.

A year since his father had challenged him to an Agni Kai. A year since Fire Lord Ozai had burned his face and sent him on what seemed to be a hopeless mission.

If Zuko was honest with himself, he would have thought that he father would have called him home, Avatar or no Avatar. Surely by now his father had realized that the Avatar was most likely dead and Zuko was never going to find him.

But Zuko tried not to be honest with himself, not anymore. He had to maintain his determination. He had realized that he would never go home if he didn't figure something out.

Zuko resisted the urge to reach up and touch the scarred skin over his left eye. He used to do this to remind himself that it was all real, but now he was thoroughly convinced, and feeling the rough, puckered surface would only repulse him.

The prince turned away from the shore and dropped into a familiar firebending stance, going through the motions again and again with no one there to criticize him. As much as he hated docking, it was the only time Zuko ever found any real peace.

* * *

Kree found the General happily browsing through a set of unique teas at a stall near the ship.

"General Iroh, sir," she greeted, and the elderly man turned and smiled at her. Kree had always admired his good nature even on the worst of days. He was a celebrated General back in the homeland, and he could easily still be there had he not volunteered to assist his nephew.

"Kree," he said happily, "which sounds more delectable: Papaya Oolong or Honey Youth White?"

The waterbender eyed the two jars placed on the counter before the General. "Get the Oolong for yourself and the White for Prince Zuko," she told him with a wink. "He could use a bit more youth."

Iroh chuckled and nodded to the vendor, who began wrapping the tealeaves.

"General Iroh, I need to tell you something," Kree began again, swallowing the last of the fire flakes and tossing the bag in a bin. "I overheard some of the villagers talking earlier. They said that this town has a legend about Mt. Baatar, and they think it's possible that the Avatar may have sought refuge there. I know it's a long shot, but I thought the prince would want to know."

The elderly general studied the mountain. It appeared to be about a day's journey inland, and very tall. "My nephew plans to search every corner of the world," he told her. "I imagine he will not see a mountain as too much of an obstacle. I will tell him and have a search party organized. When you finish buying the supplies, would you return to the ship and have meals packed for the travelers? At least a day's worth."

"Of course, sir," Kree said, giving him a respectful bow and making her way to the merchants selling fruits and nuts to stock up before the next leg of the journey.

Kree always enjoyed their stops at the Fire Nation colonies along the coast of the Earth Kingdom. They were the closest things to home.

There had been a time when Kree had felt guilty for considering the Fire Nation home. She was a waterbender, after all, and both of her parents had been from the North Pole, but Kree had never known them. Instead, she had known love from Kyron and Lady Agna, who were the closest thing she had to parents. They had made the Fire Nation into a home for her, and it was the only one that she had ever known.

She wanted nothing more than to get back to that home. And she sent a silent prayer up to the Sun spirit, Biao, that Prince Zuko would find the Avatar in that mountain cave.

* * *

The expedition left at dawn the next day. Zuko led the way on his rhino with Iroh close behind him. The old man was consulting a map he bought at the market, and Zuko rolled his eyes. They were going to a mountain, which they could see. They didn't need a map.

His men laughed and joked behind him as they made their way through the village toward the forest at the base of the mountain, but Zuko ignored them, focusing instead on his firebending. He went through every battle scenario he could come up with, planning how he would attack and capture the Avatar if they found him. Whoever the man was, he had had over one hundred years to master all the elements, but Zuko was determined to defeat him.

They reached the edge of the forest and Zuko started in.

"Wait, Prince Zuko."

"What is it, Uncle?" he asked in frustration. He was tense and ready to be finished with this mission.

"We should search for the best path before plowing blindly into the forest." He gestured to the map in his hands. "The people of the town claim that this forest is a very spiritual place, and we do not want to disturb resting spirits."

Zuko looked at the sky. It was noon and they needed to reach the mountain cave before nightfall.

"This way is good enough, Uncle," he said stubbornly, and plowed through the trees on the edge of the forest. "I have no patience for spirits."

He regretted the decision almost immediately.

Whether it was the thick trees or some kind of magic, the forest was nearly pitch dark. The prince lit a flame in his hand. "Let's go."

There was no response.

"Huh?" Zuko turned, furious that the men had not followed him into the forest, but behind him the trees looked as if they stretched on for miles in darkness. "Impossible."

The rhino beneath him must have sensed its rider's apprehension, for it bolted suddenly and Zuko was thrown off. The prince cursed loudly.

"Uncle?" he yelled. "Lieutenant Jee?"

"Oh they can't hear you."

The voice startled Zuko more than he was willing to admit. He searched wildly in all directions before he eyes landed on a panda dove perched on a tree branch.

"I'm going crazy," Zuko deduced. He crouched down on the forest floor and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Maybe I've been at sea too long."

"You're quite sane, I assure you," said the panda dove. It had a surprisingly deep voice for such a small creature. "This is a special place. Avatar Bataar was born near here and spent many years meditating in this forest. It's open to the spirit world more than most places."

That, at least, seemed promising.

"Is the new Avatar hiding here?" the prince demanded. "Where is he? How can I find him?"

The bird ignored his questions, but looked thoughtful, if birds were capable of looking thoughtful. Zuko mentally smacked himself, still unsure that what he was seeing was real.

"The way through the forest is difficult," said the bird, hopping from one foot to the other as if it was suddenly keen to leave. "It is a journey that every man must make alone."

"What is that supposed to mean? Is the Avatar here or not?"

"That doesn't matter anymore. To get back, you must go forward. Otherwise, you will be lost in the forest forever."

"What does that mean? Where are my men?"

"Some entered, others did not. I suppose you shall see them at the end—presuming you all make it to the end."

"This is a waste of time. Just tell me how to get out of this forest!" Zuko was yelling now and he thought he heard something rustle in the bushes nearby.

"I wouldn't shout if I were you," warned the panda dove, before taking flight and disappearing among the trees.

Zuko groaned in frustration and sent an angry fireball at a tree a few yards away. Instead of blasting the tree to pieces, as he had intended, the blow strangely had no effect.

The darkness was growing blacker, though Zuko knew it was still early afternoon. He heard the bushes rustling again and raised blazing fists to shed light on the creature hiding within them.

With a mighty roar, a colossal elephant bear came bursting into view, charging straight at the Fire Nation Prince.

* * *

What do you think so far? I would love some reviews! Authors live off them.

And I want to know what types of characters you would like to see for some of the other crewmembers. I've had Rana, Kree, and Jinsoo planned for a while, along with Jee, obviously. But the rest are still up in the air, so if anyone has any ideas/anything you would like to see, let me know. (:

Gwen


	3. Chapter Two: Trek In the Dark

**A/N: **Thanks to the few of you who favorited/alerted to my one lovely reviewer, Vivan! You guys are the best.

I was having a hard time picturing Kree as I wrote, so I drew her (you can see part of it in the story cover). There's a link to the full drawing on my profile if you're interested. (:

Without further ado:

"_We should go to sleep now, you should close your eyes. I'll be up to watch the world around us live and die. Lying on the grass now, dancing for the stars. Maybe one will look on down and tell us who we are."_

**Chapter Two: Trek In the Dark**

Zuko instinctively jumped aside as the elephant bear charged him. He rolled into the bushes, cursing as thorns entangled him in their snagging grasp.

The bear skidded to a halt, its clawed feet digging deep gashes in the earth. It turned, blinking in the direction Zuko had disappeared. It was a cunning beast, the prince realized as its eyes glinted in the darkness; it would not be easily fooled.

_To go back, you must go forward._

The obnoxious bird had twittered the hint before leaving Zuko here to die by means of elephant bear tusk.

The prince scrambled up the nearest tree in a highly undignified manner as the bear charged again. Seeing him out of reach, the bear started ramming the tree with its huge head, causing it to shake dangerously. Zuko clung on and punched a flame downward, but his fire didn't even singe the animal.

Zuko tried it again. And again. But his firebending seemed to be useless in this cursed forest.

With a final, almighty effort, the elephant bear uprooted the tree. Zuko jumped towards another, but barely caught a branch with one hand, and hung there vulnerably as the bear looked around for its target.

He grunted, trying to pull himself up onto the branch, but his fingers were already slipping. Zuko's heart started beating faster as fear gripped him. The bear turned its shiny black eyes on him once more and the sweat on Zuko's palms caused him to lose his grip on the branch altogether.

It wasn't a long fall, but at the impact of his feet hitting the forest floor, Zuko felt a sharp pain in his ankle. He swallowed, ignoring the pain in the face of the present situation.

Mind racing, Zuko went through possible escape routes as he dodged another charge from the bear. He had not quite lost his bearings yet, but as he could not see the mountain, he was unsure of the exact path he needed to take.

All he could do was run.

* * *

Kree helped Rana fill the large water tanks at a stream near the town. Due to their chi-blocking bracelets, the task required two people to be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time.

The younger girl focused, reaching her senses out into the stream, urging the water to come closer. It tugged at the edge of her consciousness like a vaguely familiar face that she couldn't quite place. The young waterbender took a deep breath, the way Admiral Kyron did when he reached inside himself to create fire.

"How many times must I tell you, Kree?" asked Rana irritably. The two had make up since Rana had initially suggested that Kree join her on this journey, but their differences in upbringing often came between them. "Breathing doesn't make a difference to waterbending."

Kree glared, feeling her left eyebrow twitch in concentration as she formed the water into a ball and guided it carefully into one of the tanks.

"It might help," Kree offered through gritted teeth. Fighting with Rana was pointless.

The older woman huffed and turned her attention back to her own bending.

Kree wondered what it would be like without the cuffs hindering her abilities. Surely bending should be easier than this. It was supposed to be an extension of oneself, and Kree knew that it should be something natural and beautiful, not forced and exhausting.

"Rana! Kree!"

The two women turned from the river and saw a Fire Nation soldier hurrying in their direction. Kree recognized him as Huan, Lieutenant Jee's second in command. The man was in his late thirties, with streaks of grey in his dark hair. He was long-legged, but seemed to be tiring from the pace of his approach. Kree wondered if he had come all the way from the mountain that the men had set out for earlier that day. Her heart leapt to her throat. Had they found the Avatar?

Huan stopped when he reached them, bending forward and placing a rough hand on his knee as he caught his breath. He wore his traditional Fire Nation armor, though the helmet and mask were hanging heavy in his other hand, as if he had torn it off in his haste.

Kree carefully cupped her hands in the river and froze it into a bowl-like shape. She filled it with water and handed it to Huan. He smiled his thanks and drank before speaking.

"Rana, I need you to come with me. The forest—I don't know what happened. Prince Zuko and some of the others went in and just...just disappeared."

"_What?_" The two women asked in unison.

"What do you mean they disappeared?"

"How long have they been gone?"

"Did you send more men in to look for them?"

Huan held up hand, silencing them gently. "We sent as many men as we could, but the same thing kept happening. They would go in and their voices would vanish. We even tried tying a rope around Jinsoo before he went in, but it snapped as soon as he was out of sight."

Rana looked fairly unconcerned. "What do you expect us to do about it?"

Kree shot her godmother a look of contempt. "Whatever we can. We can't let anything happen to the prince—he's heir to the throne!"

Rana was unconvinced, so Kree stepped directly in front of her. Rana was tall and thin, but Kree was gaining on her in height. She looked up slightly into her icy blue eyes. "Rana, Prince Zuko is the only person that can get you to the North Pole right now, and I know that's what you want. I just want to get back to the Fire Nation. We have to get him out of there or we're both going to be stuck in Nanyou."

"And what happens if we go in and disappear too?"

Kree let out an aggravated sigh. "Do what you want, Rana, I'm going with Huan."

The soldier rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to interrupt their argument. "I was hoping you both would come. I don't know if the others are hurt, but if they are, we could really use healers.

Kree looked expectantly at Rana. "If you don't come, you could be tried for treason."

"You're the traitor, Kree," Rana spat. She turned back toward the stream.

"Let's go, Huan," said Kree, brushing past the soldier and heading back the way he had come and leaving Rana to deal with the heavy tanks alone.

She could sense Huan hesitating briefly, but he soon appeared at her side. He led her toward the forest at the base of the mountain.

He was tense from the encounter with Rana. Few people were used to her blatant honesty and abrasive nature.

"Don't worry about Rana," she told him, using the words to calm herself down as well. "We have a talk like that at least once a week. She'll get over it."

"You were right," he said after a moment of thoughtful silence. "If she keeps that attitude, she could very well be tried for treason and never make it back north."

"I know." Kree's hands clenched to fists at her sides. "But she's completely unreasonable. She goes on and on about how water is the element of adaptability and change, and yet she's the worst example of that."

"Some people just have beliefs too strong to be able to see anything else."

"Sometimes...sometimes I think Prince Zuko is like that about the Avatar."

Huan sighed. "This mission was more dangerous than any of us could have anticipated. But yes, the prince plows headlong through this journey. It could be the death of him before he makes it home."

"Not if we can help it."

The soldier nodded and the two continued to the forest in silence.

* * *

Darting in and out of trees, the prince made his way toward the mountain with the elephant bear crashing through the underbrush behind him. He kept a flame burning in his hand to light the path in front of him, but everything outside him small bubble of light was pitch black.

Zuko's ankle throbbed and he could feel his inner fire grow colder as he delved deeper into the ancient forest. His heart pounded and his breath came hard and fast. Cramps shot through his sides. He could not keep up this pace forever.

"I told you not to shout," sang a familiar voice. It was that stupid panda dove.

Zuko looked up to see it flitting along above him, weaving through the branches and in and out of his light. In his anger, he shot a blast of fire at the animal, but even if his aim had been accurate, the prince knew it would have been no good.

"You shouldn't do that, either," the bird scolded. "I can make it leave you alone."

The bear was gaining and Zuko had no breath to waste on the annoying bird in the trees above him. Instead, he pushed himself harder, urging his legs to go faster. It was nearly impossible to see in front of him, in spite of his fiery hands, and as he squeezed between two close-growing trees, Zuko's foot caught on a root and he went sprawling forward.

"Ahhh!"

The elephant bear charged straight into the trees Zuko had just passed, and stuck it's clawed paw between them, swiping at the prince. Zuko scrambled backward out of its reach and looked around to see in the faint light of his fire that he had landed in a small clearing, the trees growing thick and tight all around. For the moment, he was safe, though the darkness seemed to be growing more invasive, swallowing his fire flame by flame.

The panda dove clucked and landed on Zuko's head as he sat up and rubbed his sore ankle. The Prince shivered. It was cold here, and even though he had been running, there was an icy feeling inside him.

The bird seemed to read his mind. "Bending doesn't really work here. You might feel a bit strange."

The elephant bear roared in frustration behind the trees and the ground shook as it rammed into the barrier in an attempt to reach Zuko.

"Why is that thing chasing me?" Zuko yelled in frustration. He hadn't meant to ask the panda dove, specifically, he still thought he was going crazy.

"You're an intruder here. You have no connection to the spirit world and that bear, Houwei, is the guardian of the forest."

Zuko stood, gingerly testing his throbbing ankle, his hope reigniting. "If there's a guardian, that means something needs guarding."

The Avatar had to be on the mountain. Zuko could feel it. After a long year of searching, his journey was about to come to an end. He allowed that small spark of hope to warm him. The prince didn't know how he would capture the Avatar without his bending, but he had been searching too long and he wanted to return home too badly to give up now. He pulled the panda dove off his head and held it in one hand, using the other to light up the clearing.

"Lead the way to Mt. Baatar," he demanded.

The dove huffed, if doves were capable of huffing. "I'm not doing it because you told me to," it said indignantly. I'm only doing it because it's what my master wants."

"Is your master the Avatar?"

"In a way."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see."

Zuko growled in frustration, but since the dove was his only lead, he left the furious elephant bear behind and followed the dove's directions through the dense forest.

* * *

When they reached the edge of the forest, Kree stopped. Besides Huan, Lao and Zhanshi were the only men she saw.

"Are you three the only ones left?" Kree asked, suddenly afraid. There were fifteen soldiers aboard the ship, not including the prince or his uncle. Two had been left to guard the ship while the rest set out on the mission this morning.

Lao nodded. He was tall and thin and wore his long sleek hair tied back in a low ponytail. He held his spear tightly in one hand as he stared into the black forest. "All the others followed Prince Zuko in. As soon as they passed the tree line, it was like they just...disappeared."

Kree turned to Huan. "And what exactly did you expect Rana and I to be able to do?"

Huan rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. "I was actually hoping Rana might have some knowledge of the spirit world. Other than General Iroh, she's the oldest person on the ship and usually the elderly are more in tune with the spirits."

"You think the spirits have something to do with this?"

Lao turned to face them, his sharp features scowling slightly. "The villagers said this was a spiritual place, I don't know what else would be going on."

Hope bubbled in Kree's stomach. "You think this could be the work of the Avatar?"

Then men shrugged.

"It's impossible to say unless we go in after them, but someone has to stay...in case no one comes back."

"You should stay, Huan," said Zhanshi. "You're Jee's second. The rest of the crew will need your help to get back home."

Huan looked conflicted. Kree knew that he had served under Iroh for many years while he had been a General in the army. All of Iroh's ex-soldiers were fiercely loyal and it was obvious that Huan wanted to go in after him.

"He's right," Lao agreed. "You need to be the one to stay. We'll take Kree with us and hope we can find them."

Huan could see they were right, and he gave a curt nod. "I'll stay here until sunset, then go back to the ship and inform the others of the situation."

"We shouldn't waste anymore time," Zhanshi said, shouldering his pack and unwinding a length of rope. He tied one end around his waste and held the other out to Kree. "Tie yourself in the middle. Lao will be behind you and I'll go in front. This way we won't get separated once we're inside."

They stepped into the darkness together.

* * *

Zuko could feel the strain as he kept the small flame glowing in his palm to light the way. It was as if a bonfire inside of him was slowly dwindling to ashes. He opened his mouth to demand the panda dove tell him how much farther they had to go when a person materialized out of thin air directly in from of him.

"Uh!" Zuko grunted as he walked headlong into the figure.

She fell forward, but seemed dazed rather than hurt. "Wha-? Where am I?"

The girl was thin, wiry with muscle. She had dark copper skin and wore her dark curly hair tied back in a ponytail. They were the same height and Zuko thought she must be around his age. She was wearing a Fire Nation uniform and he recognized her as one of his ship's cooks. When she gained her bearings and looked at him, blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Prince Zuko!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and bowing low. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—What's going on? Where are Lao and Zhanshi?"

The girl grabbed a rope that was tied around her waist and held up the ends, which were roughly severed. She spun in a quick circle. "They were with me less than a minute ago."

Zuko didn't know what to tell her, he was just as confused as she was. The prince held his hand higher and made the flame a bit bigger. "How long have you been in the forest?"

She shook her head. "Less than a minute. We walked in and I was here and they were gone."

"When I walked in it was like I started in the middle of the forest, too." He paused, thinking about where he had started and how he had been separated from his men. "I wonder if you finding me was coincidence."

"You know it isn't," sang the bird on his shoulder.

The girl blinked. "Either I'm going crazy, or that bird just talked."

"Yeah," Zuko sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You get used to it."

"Uh-huh." She didn't look convinced.

"It's Rana, right?" asked the prince, guessing between the names of the two cooks. He suddenly felt a little guilty for not knowing his own crew after a year at sea.

"Kree," she corrected, though she didn't looked offended. "Rana's my godmother."

He nodded, then grabbed the bird and held it up to his face. "What do you mean it's not a coincidence?"

"You're in a spirit forest. _Nothing_ is coincidence. Everyone that comes in ends up where they want to be or where they need to be."

"I guess that makes sense," Kree said as she untied the rope from around her waist and wrapped it up neatly. "I came into the forest looking for you, Prince Zuko, so technically this is where I want to be. But Lao and Zhanshi were looking for you, too."

The two of them looked at the panda dove expectantly.

"Just because I know how the forest works doesn't mean I can tell you where everyone is."

"Helpful," Kree said and Zuko groaned in agreement.

She walked away from him a bit, looking around the forest in the light from Zuko's flame. Putting her hands on her hips, she asked, "So how close to the mountain are we? That is where you're heading, right?"

Zuko didn't want to admit that he had no idea where he was. "We should be getting close."

The panda dove clucked, but said nothing.

Kree turned and came back toward them. Her chi-blocking bracelets glinted in the firelight. "You said we end up where we need to be." She knelt slightly to look the bird in the eye. "We need to get to the Avatar's cave. Can we get there the same way I got to the middle of the forest? Can we magically end up there now?"

In any other situation, Zuko would have found the suggestion ridiculous, but today, stranger things had happened.

"It's possible," said the bird. "But why should I tell you? What do you want with the Avatar?"

Zuko and Kree made eye contact, both knowing they couldn't tell the truth.

"We don't want to hurt him," Kree said, but Zuko thought it might be futile. Their Fire Nation clothing gave them away.

"I've helped you this far because I sense good souls inside you, but I'm afraid your minds and your senses of duty will work against that."

And with that, the bird dissolved to dust and the small flame that Zuko had been able to maintain went out, leaving the two of them standing the in middle of a dark black forest with no idea where to go.

Zuko tried to summon his inner fire, searching deep inside himself and controlling his breathing the way Uncle Iroh always said to, but he only felt empty.

"I feel weird," Kree's voice came from nearby. "What just happened?"

"We lost our bending, I think," he said, trying not to panic. They couldn't possibly stumble around this forest in the dark and expect to find what they were looking for.

Kree laughed humorlessly. "Well there's goes all my use as a healer." She scoffed. "That was why Huan came to get me in the first place."

"It would've been nice to know that five minutes ago," Zuko snapped. His ankle was getting worse the longer they stood there and their prospects of getting to the mountain seemed even dimmer than the forest.

"Well I wasn't expecting my bending to just disappear," Kree shot back.

Zuko's good eyebrow went up. People didn't speak to him that way. His crew needed to show him more respect. He held his tongue for the time being, though. She was his only ally and it wouldn't do any good to make her mad.

"I'm sorry," she said after a moment of silent. "That was out of line."

"Accepted."

"Thanks. I think we should try to find the river."

"Why? Your bending is gone."

"Yes, but I think the river was coming from the mountain. If we can find it, we just have to keep walking up river."

That was the best idea he'd heard all day. He should have thought of it himself. "Any ideas where to go? Can't waterbenders sense water or something?"

Kree chuckled. "That's what they tell me, but even if I had my bending right now, these cuffs keep me from being able to do stuff like that. I have to pretty much be in the water before I can feel it. I guess we should just pick a direction and go."

They did so, going the way that Zuko thought he had been going before Kree had appeared. The going was slow as they had to pick their way through the trees in the dark and Zuko was limping on his bad ankle.

"You don't sound bitter about the chi bracelets," he said awkwardly after a while, unsure of what else he could talk to this waterbender about. There were a few waterbenders and earthbenders that worked as servants in the palace and he had often heard them complain about their bending restraints.

If she noticed how forced the question sounded, she didn't comment on it. "I've never known anything else. I was born in the Fire Nation."

"Really?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. Most people think I'm a prisoner of war or something, but I'm not. My mom was, but I was taken in by a Fire Nation family when I was born."

"My father doesn't permit cross-nation adoption."

"I know, it's the one issue I have with him," she admitted, though she sounded hesitant. "I mean, I've obviously never met him or anything, but I imagine he has to be a great leader. He's almost ended the war and everyone says that he's going to be the Fire Lord to do it. Fire Lord Sozin's goal of spreading our prosperity will finally be realized. But that being said, I want my family to be able to adopt me rather than having to make me their steward."

Zuko wondered if she knew that it had been his father that had burned his face and sent him on this mission in the first place. He had done his best to cover that up, but he often thought about the rumors that might spread about his scar.

"Oh, so you're a house steward," he said, mentally kicking himself. She just said that. Why was he so awkward around people his own age?

"Mm," she confirmed. "Lady Agna hoped..." Kree paused and Zuko could hear the embarrassment in her voice. "She hoped that by helping you, the Fire Lord might let her adopt me. She thought this would prove my loyalty to the Fire Nation."

_Too bad I was banished._ Zuko thought. He didn't think his father would take kindly to any of the people that had volunteered to help him.

They wandered in silence for a while, trying to keep a straight course so they wouldn't end up walking in circles.

"Are you okay? It sounds like you're limping."

Her voice came from farther ahead than Zuko expected and he realized he was falling behind. That was embarrassing. A prince was supposed to walk before his subjects.

"I hurt my ankle," he admitted, knowing that lying wouldn't do him any good.

"How?" He stopped walking and she came back to where he was standing, almost running into him in the dark.

Zuko felt his cheeks heat up and he was suddenly thankful for the blackness. "I fell out of a tree," he mumbled.

To his relief, she didn't laugh at him.

"I wish you would've said something sooner. I can make a splint. I've got rope and everything. If you want."

"Do it."

He heard her rustling through the leaves and grass covering the forest floor, looking for something to use as a brace.

"This one feels sturdy enough," she said after a moment. "Where are you?"

"Here."

Suddenly, a small hand was on his back.

"Oh, sorry," she said, quickly drawing it away. "I didn't realize I was so close. Is this your back?"

"Yeah."

She walked around him. "Which ankle?"

"Left."

Her hand brushed his boot. "Can I take this off?"

"Do whatever you need to."

She pulled the boot off, careful not to jostle his ankle, and then started gently prodding it. "It feels swollen. You might have broken it. I won't know for sure until I get my bending back. Hang on, this will hurt."

The stick pressed against his ankle and the prince flinched. Kree wrapped the rope around it tightly and tied it off. Zuko couldn't help a small gasp of pain.

"Sorry!" she said. "But the tighter it is, the better. "I can put your boot back on over it if I can loosen the straps on the boot."

"That's fine."

A few moments later, he was stepping lightly on the ankle again. It did feel a bit better.

"How is it?" she asked.

"Better, I think." He was suddenly grateful to Lady Agna, whoever she was, for sending Kree with him. He needed people with practical skills on a mission like this. "We should keep going."

"Okay, lead the way."

Zuko took a step and was blinded by bright white light.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust, but when they did, he saw that he was standing at the mouth of a cave, and the light was coming from deep inside.

Realization dawned.

He had reached the Avatar.

* * *

Hope you liked it! Also, in my defense, I had the names of Mt. Baatar AND Huan planned before Suyin Beifong's family was even introduced in the show. T_T And don't worry. You'll find out what happened to Iroh and everyone else in the next chapter.

Please review! And again, you can check out a drawing of Kree in the link in my profile. (:

Thanks for reading!

Gwen


End file.
